The Menu & Wines
On Arrival
Bera Barbaresco 2019, Our Price $81
Inviting, enticing aromas of ripe berry, baking spice, hazelnut, violet and leather come to the forefront. On the palate, firm, fine-grained tannins support raspberry jam, candy-coated licorice and cake spice. Firm, fine-grained tannins, fresh acidity.
93 Points Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast
Bread and olives
1st Course
Luigi Oddero ‘Rombone’ 2019, Our Price $139
The Figli Luigi Oddero 2019 Barbaresco Rombone is tight and streamlined with typical Nebbiolo aromas that reveal themselves slowly as the wine begins to open. The wine's intensity remains moderate throughout, and this softer approach works well to enhance the more delicate and nuanced sides of this mighty red grape from Piedmont.
95 Points Kerin O’ Keefe, kerinokeefe.com
Sweet berry aromas with hints of flowers and spices. Very perfumed. Full-bodied, firm and chewy with a velvety texture and a flavourful finish. Shows lovely intensity and flavour.
93 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
Cascina Luisin ‘Rabaja’ 2019, Our Price $124
Pale yet bright ruby colour. There is a youthful and fresh perfume of succulent berries, tobacco and cut fennel with an underlying mocha and malty oak influence. Lively fruits, raspberry and blueberry, greet the palate, accompanied by a wash of orangy tang, gently sweet spice and filigree, enveloping tannins, effortlessly flowing to a glossy finish. This is a lovely, elegant wine, already approachable.
95 Points Stephen Blandford, The Real Review
The tannins in this are very fine and give a caressing mouthfeel. It’s medium-bodied with fresh fruit and citrusy undertones. Fresh and fruity in a reserved way.
93 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
Manchego croquettes, white balsamic pearls
2nd Course
Castello di Neive Barbaresco 2020, Our Price $122
Though muscular, this shows a layer of inviting cherry and raspberry flavors, shaded by hints of licorice, tar, mineral and menthol. Offers fine energy and is well-balanced overall, with a long, complex aftertaste.
94 Points Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator
Blue flower, mocha, new leather and baked plum are just some of the aromas you’ll find on this delicious Barbaresco. On the savory, full-bodied palate, tightly woven, velvety tannins and bright acidity accompany juicy black raspberry, crushed Morello cherry and baking spice.
93 Points Kerin O’ keefe, kerinokeefe.com.
Bera ‘Serraboella’ 2019, Our Price $105
Paitin ‘Serraboella’ 2020, Our Price $126
With fruit from a celebrated site in the village of Neive with its rolling hills and wide panoramas, this is a lean and shiny ruby-colored wine. The Paitin 2020 Barbaresco Serraboella is ethereal and luminous in appearance; however, the aromas offer strength and a bold character. There is bright berry fruit, but the bigger takeaways are savory nuances of licorice, iris root and even an exotic note of teakwood or mahogany. This is an impeccably elegant wine with 10,000 bottles made. It stands out in this flight.
95 Points Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
Deep and aromatic on the nose with ripe cherries, ground spices, aged citrus peel and moist bark. Full with a dense and compact tannin structure, yet very fine, almost silky, with impressive energy. Dynamic. Solid and focused. Really well made. Better from 2026.
94 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
Paitin ‘Sori Paitin’ 2020, Our Price $154
The 2020 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin is a regal, elegant wine. Powerful yet delicate, with tons. of understated power, the Sori Paitin is a textbook example of what fine Barbaresco can be. Sweet red cherry fruit, kirsch, mint, blood orange, spice, hard candy and orange peel soar out of the glass, framed by silky yet incisive young Nebbiolo tannins. The balance here is just sublime. For my money, this is the Paitin Barbaresco to buy in 2020.
95 Points Antonio Galloni, vinous.com
Alluring aromas and flavours of cherry, raspberry, leafy underbrush, tar, iron and hay mark this luscious red, which is fresh and firm at once, with a chalky, minerally essence on the long finish. Best from 2026 through 2042.
95 Points Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator
In the local dialect, a "sorì" refers to the top of a hill that gets the most sunlight. The 2020 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin is a special selection of fruit from a pinpoint area within this greater cru site in the village of Neive. Certified for organics, it does indeed show slightly riper and sweeter fruit, which is expected given the very warm temperatures seen during this growing season. This wine does not have the same austerity that we get in the wider selection from Serraboella. Instead, this bottle offers a softly layered expression with cassis, red rose, peony, apricot, spice and iodine. Exactly 11,794 bottles were released.
94+ Points Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
This offers a broad spectrum of aromas, from toasted spices and walnut shell to vibrant red fruit and rose petals. Hints of earth and undergrowth, too. Very dynamic and meaty on the palate with a full body and beautiful tannins. It’s velvety and compact and evenly distributed. Crunchy, too. Better after 2026.
94 Points James Suckling
Abrolhos half shell scallops, Jamon bits, kaffir lime
3rd Course
Luigi Giordano ‘Cavanna’ 2020, Our Price $118
Super pretty, wafting aromas of dried cherries and jam along with rose create an ethereal experience. The wine features crunchy acidity, dried orange peel and superfine tannins. Light on its feet but impactful with a balance of grace, agility and strength.
94 Points Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast
Very floral with rose to the fore, slightly smoky and herbal notes of underbrush, forest floor and wild strawberry. There is volume on the palate, relaxing at first, savoury and toasty on the finish, with refreshing acidity and polished tannins, and the typical dusty finale of Nebbiolo. Good wine and good length, if a bit simple on the finish.
92 Points Aldo Fiordelli, Decanter
Luigi Giordano ‘Asili’ 2020, Our Price $118
This wine displays high-toned and bright wild berries, particularly raspberries, along with sweet spice and fresh thyme. The palate is super pretty, with fine tannins and a drinkability that will astound the senses. There is more stuffing in the wine, with lush cherry flavors, both fresh and preserved, yielding to oolong tea, pepper and earth on the finish.
95 Points Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast
Extremely pale as Asili often is. Restrained, with cinnamon, pomegranate if not redcurrant and other light red fruits. Notes of smoky woodland, a balsamic touch and liquorice are soaked with this elegant redcurrant fruit. The acidity is delicate while the tannins almost silky and to the fore. Savoury and smoky on the finish, with great, elegant length. Amazing wine.
94 Points Aldo Fiordelli, Decanter
Luigi Giordano ‘Montestefano’ 2020, Our Price $118
Juniper rubbed quail, fragrant eggplant, petit spinach
4th Course
Cascina Luisin ‘Asili’ 2019, Our Price $124
New leather, forest berry and spice aromas come to the forefront along with an earthy whiff of underbrush. On the taut, youthfully austere palate, fine-grained tannins accompany ripe raspberry, strawberry compote and grated nutmeg. This sill benefit with a few more years in the bottle aging.
94 Points Kerin O’keefe, kerinokeefe.com.
A very fine tannined red with lovely length and finesse with blackberry, citrus and earth undertones. Some ash. Medium body, firm tannins and a solid finish. Drink after 2025.
93 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
Barbaresco. Very pale ruby. Intense and perfumed on the nose and finely balanced on the palate with plenty of acidity and still youthful, compact fruit. Very long, fine, elegant and yet mouth-filling with rich finely ground tannins underneath the fruit.
17.5 Points Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Cascina Luisin ‘Asili’ 2018, Our Price $124
Cascina Luisin ‘Asili’ 2016, Our Price $124
Ripe, with plum, macerated cherry and chocolate flavors, this red is backed by tightly wound tannins. Features plenty of fruit to match the structure, winding down with tobacco, spice and mineral elements.
93 Points Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator
Spearmint, rose petals, tulips and lilacs make for a fragrant Barbaresco expression. Fine, velvety tannins encase supple baskets of transparent, silky fruit on the palate, which is only medium in body and moderately firm.
92 Points James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
Barbaresco. Tasted blind. Mid ruby with orange tinges. A little closed on the nose. Concentrated and very pure on the palate. Bags of concentrated sour cherry and coating tannins equally vying for attention on the finish. Long, embryonic and in need of much more time.
18 Points Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Cascina Luisin Barbaresco Riserva 2015, Our Price $162
Effusive aromas of raspberry, kirsch and truffle mark this juicy red, along with accents of white pepper, iron, tobacco and tarragon. Slim and complex with fine harmony, structure and an aftertaste that echoes the ripe fruit, spice and savory elements.
97 Points Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator
Angus a la minute, green peppercorn butter, leafy greens
About Barbaresco
Barbaresco, made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, has very similar characteristics to Barolo, even if it is traditionally considered gentler and less demanding. The production area is, in fact, a little warmer and the harvest takes place a few days earlier than in the Barolo area. The name Barbaresco was born at the end of the 19th century and since then it has become increasingly famous in the world, achieving the Controlled Designation of Origin in 1966 and the Guaranteed Designation of Origin in 1980. Since 2009 the extensions and names of the vineyards have been defined, similarly to Barolo, in the production specifications through the Additional Geographical Mentions.
It is absolutely one of the greatest wines of Italy and the world, capable of improving in the bottle for many years thanks to a complex aromatic range and an important structure in terms of both tannins and acidity. Mandatory aging of at least 26 months (50 for the Riserva version), of which 9 in wood, before marketing. There are 4 municipalities interested in the production of Barbaresco: Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso, plus a small portion of the municipality of Alba in the San Rocco Seno d'Elvio area. Barbaresco suffers from a somewhat understandable inferiority complex towards Barolo, which often leads to lower prices. But there is no shortage of small and medium-sized wineries that work hard in the vineyard and in the cellar. Here too, as in Barolo, there are stylistic differences between the producers, with Ca' Romé, Castello di Neive, Giuseppe Cortese and the social winery Produttori del Barbaresco making more austere and classic wines, while Gaja, Moccagatta, Bruno Rocca and Sattivano they favor full and velvety wines, with a more international slant. Annual production is just over 4 million bottles, a slight increase.
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Cascina Luisin
Cascina Luisin is located in Barbaresco, in the heart of the wonderful hilly area of the Langhe.
Its name derives from the dialect expression "little Luigi" with which Luigi Minuti, the grandfather of the current owner, Roberto, was called.
The winery was founded in 1913 and after over a century of history, it has managed to preserve the family character of its origins. The work in the vineyard, the pruning, the harvesting operations, as well as the fermentations and refinements, up to the marketing and sale, are still carried out directly by the family members today.
A management method which underlines the attachment to the land and to the company and guarantees control of the entire production chain with high quality standards. All work is carried out with great passion and an artisanal approach. Nothing is left to chance and every little detail is meticulously
controlled.
The estate extends over a total area of 8 hectares, divided into numerous plots in the most important denominations of the Langhe and Roero, two areas divided by the course of the Tanaro river, which expresses some of the absolute best excellence of Piedmontese wine.
The cultivated vines are the classic ones of the area: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Arneis, in line with the company philosophy of respecting the most ancient traditions and creating wines with a typical face, capable of expressing the best characteristics of the Langhe and Roero. To achieve this objective, cellar practices are managed by trying to intervene as little as possible during the winemaking processes, to let the grapes and terroir speak directly, without interference or oenological overlap. The average production is between 30-40,000 bottles, with around 15,000 bottles of Barbaresco, the true icon wine of Cascina Luisin
winepoint.it
Figli Luigi Oddero
Our company was born thanks to Luigi Oddero, an oenologist and man of great curiosity and culture, deeply and viscerally in love with his land, the Langa. A country gentleman, as Mario Soldati defined him in his 1975 interview reported in the book Vino al Vino, who contained within himself the peasant spirit and the long-term vision, representing the fusion between the energies of the past and the desire to look to the future.
A charismatic figure always tense between progress and conservation, attentive to technical innovations but without forgetting his family history that began in the 19th century with his grandparents, already wine producers and traders.
Today, after Luigi's passing, the company is managed by his wife Lena and his children, Maria and Giovanni, whose names are in honor of their grandparents, those who began the centuries-old history of the company. Here too, tradition becomes continuity, with a thread that links the beginning of the 19th century, the present and the future.
Our vineyards extend for approximately 32 hectares, 18 of which are dedicated to Nebbiolo.
The agronomic approach we take is that of integrated production, what the French define as "reasoned viticulture". Agricultural techniques and practices aimed at achieving sustainable agriculture with low environmental impact, contemplating the total abandonment of herbicide and desiccant products and adopting, where possible, biological defense methods, for example sexual confusion against the vine moth. All this in order to safeguard our territory and to bring to the cellar the best that the vineyard can offer us.
figliluigioddero.it
Luigi Giordano
Giovanni Giordano, in a moment of profound crisis in the wine world, founded the company. In the following years, all the work started by Giovanni was then carried forward and strengthened by his son Luigi.
In fact, even after the Second World War, Luigi - Giovanni's son - courageously continued the path that still continues today, demonstrating an uncommon foresight for the difficult historical period.
Daughter Laura and grandson Matteo are now leading the company into the future, thanks to a dynamic and conscious vision that allows them to best interpret each vintage and each vineyard. A natural heritage to be preserved and towards which they feel a great and important responsibility.
Luigi Giordano is a company that is the projection of the family that has led it for over 90 years: a concentration of relationships, passion, listening, discussions and love for their land.
luigigiordano.it
Bera
Azienda Agricola Bera, the Bera family farm, is in Piedmont, in the Langhe area between Alba and Asti on the road from Barbaresco and Neive that climbs up towards Neviglie. Here, countryside life is tied to a tradition that knows no boundaries, and does not even spare the forest spaces where the white truffle of Alba born. The winemaking tradition goes back centuries in the Bera family. But only at the end of the ‘70s did they start producing wines to bottle and sell with their own label. Today, the farm is spread over an area of 30 hectares, 23 of which are vineyards that also extend into the nearby towns. From the time of Luigi Veronelli’s description to the present, some things have changed: the vineyards and the varieties of the wines have grown, and the winery has been modernized. Also, with the passing of the winery to Valter and Alida, a new generation has joined the family azienda: Umberto and Riccardo.
bera.it
Paitin
Paitin is one of the oldest wineries in Piedmont. The first bottles date back to 1893 and have enjoyed widespread acceptance since the beginning, even being exported overseas. The name of the Paitin winery derives from the name of the place where it was built: the estate sits as if on a throne in the center of a chain of hills above Neive, in the heart of the Barbaresco area. A good part of the land is located around the winery itself. Paitin is still owned by the founding family and is today managed by the brothers Giovanni and Silvano.
Immediately after actively joining their parents' company, they began to be interested in sustainable and environmentally friendly viticulture which was followed by the first attempts. These were so successful that the entire farm was soon converted to organic production. The vines, which are now already sixty years old, have benefited from this and will allow their particularly valuable and healthy grapes to ripen for a few more decades. However, the administrative work required to certify their production is very demanding. The transition to natural cultivation went hand in hand with the reconversion of the cellar: we went from scholastic and technologically advanced oenology to work concentrated in the least possible number of interventions. Fermentation, for example, occurs using indigenous yeasts and the wines are not filtered. Since Giovanni and Silvano's vines have returned to being cared for as in the times of their ancestors, the wines have been enriched with further finesse, with an even clearer expression of the terroir.
Giovanni and Silvano strongly feel the connection with their land. This is certainly the result of a family passion and a five-generation old tradition. The two brothers know every stone and every vine on their estate and thanks to centuries of experience they know where each planted variety grows best. Sorì Paitin and Vecchie Vigne are regularly among the most awarded wines of Barbaresco. Giovanni and Silvano are equally skilled when working Barbera. The differences in the various labels produced are due on the one hand to the position of the vineyards and on the other to the duration of barrel aging.
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